Spotting the dog lying by the bench, she rushed over. Her gaze fell on the leash too, carelessly left behind by Natalie.
The moment she saw the dog sprawled near the bench, she hurried straight to it. In her line of sight was the leashdiscarded so thoughtlessly by Natalie. Max looked up at his owner with swollen eyes, whimpering softly
Her brother and she hadnt spoken properly in nearly two years. Emily still couldnt understand how something so trivial had blown up into such a fierce argument.
Emily and William Ashford were born a year apart. Since they were little, theyd been inseparable, always standing up for each other. No matter what mischief they got into, theyd share the blame equallynever hiding behind the other.
Their hometown, Willowbrook, had flourished over the years, growing steadily. They were lucky with their village leaderThomas Whitaker, born and raised there, turned out to be a brilliant man with a head for business.
After finishing agricultural college, he returned home and threw himself into improving the place. His efforts were quickly recognised, and within a decade, Thomas became Willowbrooks council leader.
His personal life wasnt too shabby either. Emily, after finishing nursing school, began working at the local clinic. Thomas couldnt just walk past a beauty like her without a second glance. Emily returned his interest. They married, and the whole village celebrated the wedding. William was genuinely happy for his sister, though his own marriage to Natalie was far from smooth.
When Emily was still single, Natalie would occasionally grumble about her, calling her useless or stuck-up. But after the wedding, resentment turned to jealousy. Natalie started demanding more from her husbanda bigger house, a nicer car, better coats
Shed throw it in Williams face constantly: *Everyone else has everything, and weve got nothing!* He tried his best, but Natalies wants were endlessmoney or effort couldnt satisfy her.
Part of her bitterness came from her own unhappinessshed never been blessed with children. Meanwhile, Emily had married well, given birth to a boy, then a girl, built a spacious home, and her husband had risen to a respectable position
Family gatherings ended in arguments more often than not. Every time William visited Emilys, Natalie would tear into him afterward.
The final blow-up happened on Williams birthday. Emily brought him a Labrador pup from the cityhed always wanted one. Thomas gifted him a new motorcycle.
Everything was fine until Natalie, drunk, flew into a rage and unloaded on Emily:
*Whats this then, Em? The dogsome kind of dig? No kids, so we get a dog instead, is that it?*
Emily tried to calm her: *Nat, take a breath. Youll regret this later*
But it didnt help. A huge row erupted, guests picking sides. Thomas quietly told Emily they should leave, and they slipped away after polite goodbyes.
Two years passed. That night marked the start of William avoiding his sistertheir relationship reduced to brief, rare meetings. Tension grew between him and Natalie too.
Evenings, William often walked Max by the river. They looked happy togetherWilliam tossing sticks, Max bounding after them, then flopping at his feet, listening to his quiet stories.
Emily heard about this from neighbours but didnt interveneWilliam was stubborn.
After that awful fight, Natalies hatred for Emilyand Maxdeepened. When William wasnt home, shed kick the dog outside, yell at him, sometimes even hit him.
Nosy neighbours only made it worse:
*Nat, your hubbys down by the river again with that dog*
*Yesterday, he ran into Em, her husband, and the kidslaughing like it was Christmas!*
Jealousy consumed Natalie. One day, William asked: *Nat, you havent been hurting Max, have you?*
*As if Id bother with your stupid dog!* she snapped, storming off.
Max started hiding from her, trembling whenever she appeared.
Everything ended one morning when William finally snapped: *Im sick of this jealousy!*
Left alone, seething, Natalie dragged Max outside, tied him to the bench, and lashed out with the leash. The poor dog yelped in pain. Once her rage burned out, she dropped the leash, packed her bags, and left for good.
That evening, William came home to no dog at the gate. The house was a mess. He found Max by the benchhis fists clenched. He quickly untied him, cradled him, and rushed to the vet.
Emily was just finishing up when she saw her brother holding the bleeding dog: *Em, help* he croaked.
They took Max into the treatment room. Emily examined him carefully: *Who did this?*
*Natalie* William wouldnt meet her eyes.
Emily nodded silently. She stitched his wounds, cleaned his eyes, gave him water.
Later, in the hallway, William murmured guiltily: *Im sorry, Em*
*Dont be,* she smiled tiredly. *And Natalie?*
*No, Em. Not after this.*
Emily called Thomas: *Tom, come get me, please.*
Hearing the exhaustion in her voice, he was already on his way.
Half an hour later, he stood in the hallway. Seeing the siblings embracing, Max whimpering softly beside them, he didnt ask questionsjust grinned: *Alright then, heroes. Lets get you home.*
They took William back, giving him instructions on caring for Max.
When Emily told their mum what happened, she just sighed: *They shouldve split years ago.*
Then she headed over to help William tidy the house.
On the porch, William sat stroking Max. Their mum approached, ruffling both their hair: *You two alright?*
*Yeah,* William said.
The smell of roast and fresh veg drifted from the house. Max sniffed the air, tail wagging. William smiled and stood up.
Life moved on.
